


Harry's Family

by Mercury_1998



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Fluff, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-07
Updated: 2018-01-07
Packaged: 2019-03-01 11:51:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13294275
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mercury_1998/pseuds/Mercury_1998
Summary: Harry had always dreamt of having a family.





	Harry's Family

 

Harry had always dreamt of having a family.

 

When Harry lived with the Dursleys, before the letters came and his world changed, he dreamt of his parents. A mother and father. A woman, always warm, always smiling. Would his mother look like Aunt Petunia, he wondered on lonely nights under the stairs. From the back of his mind came a flash of red, like leaves in autumn, and then green, like his own eyes. And warmth. She would hold him when he cried, read to him when he struggled to make out the words.

A man joined her in these dreams. His father would be tall, strong. Skin tanned like Harry’s own. Maybe he had Harry’s hair, his knobbly knees. He would look at Harry and laugh, ruffling his hair like the dads did in the movies while Harry’s mum watched on, smiling all the while.

Harry would first see his parents in a mirror in an otherwise empty room. Sleepless nights spent staring at them, staring at him. When Dumbledore moved the mirror, Harry cried himself to sleep for two weeks.

 

Meeting the Weasleys changed Harry’s perception of family. Dreams of a mother and father turned to dreams of brothers and sisters. Big brothers to protect him from Dudley’s gang, to help him with his school work, to pull pranks with. Sisters to pull their pigtails, tease, guard and adore. A snake slithered in Harry’s stomach, spitting from jealousy, watching the Weasleys at the Burrow.

The siblings that chased and played with Harry in his dreams all had red hair too. One was tall and thin like Percy. Another covered in scars like Charlie, one with an earring and long hair. Two might even have been twins. But Harry could only dream, and watch on ever wistful. At least until Mrs Weasley claimed him as a son and he realised he had six brothers and a little sister for years.

 

In Third Year, Harry was introduced to the concept of a godfather and it felt an awful lot like falling in love. Sirius Black was a lot shabbier in real life, but in his imagination Harry pictured the man from his photo album, laughing loudly, face young and happy, standing with his parents. Sirius meant more to Harry than he could even begin to understand himself. The first adult Harry truly trusted, to confide in, laugh with, talk about his fears, his dreams, his family with.

Through Sirius, Harry discovered his heritage, his grandparents, his history. He learnt about his parents, how they met, how they got together. But not enough. Not before Harry’s family was stolen from him again. This time, Harry cried for a lot longer than two weeks.

 

Ginny became Harry’s solace in Sixth Year. He would spend days running fingers through her long red hair, nights, dreaming of kissing every freckle adorning her fair skin. She was fierce, with a wily intelligence Harry often found himself in awe of. Harry didn’t mind losing a sister if it meant Ginny could be his like this. After never having anything to call his own, he relished having Ginny. After never being claimed by anyone before, Harry burnt at the idea of belonging like this to Ginny. Days, he dreamt of spending kissing Ginny in the sunshine. Nights, he dreamt of holding her freckled hands in his own.

When he watched Bill and Fleur exchange their vows, Harry looked to Ginny. He watched the map for Ginny’s name every night as he lived on the run. He wouldn’t mind seeing Ginny in a white dress one day.

 

In truth, Ron and Hermione were Harry’s first experiences of family. The two people he trusted most in the world. That he would die for. The people that have followed him to every level of hell he has been dragged through and helped carry him out at the end. The first people to believe him, to buy him presents, to worry about him.

Ron and Hermione loved Harry and Harry loved them. Even when Harry was angry, and when Hermione was bossy and when Ron left. They survived it all. And after the war, they leaned on each other again when the attention became too great, the grief too much, the nightmares too real. What are friends but the family you choose.

 

When Harry first holds Teddy in his arms, his hair goes from turquoise to a replica of Harry’s own mess of black and bright green eyes. Harry cries for the loss of the last of his father’s friends, for the loss this little baby has yet to understand that Harry knows so well. But later, when Harry still hasn’t handed the baby back to Andromeda and Teddy is sleeping soundly in Harry’s arms, Harry smiles and imagines more children, another little boy with Harry’s hair, maybe a girl with Ginny’s red.

He looks to his left and sees Ron snoring while George and Charlie try to magically charm the word TWAT to his forehead. Mrs Weasley helps Fleur change Victoire. Bill is talking with Percy while Hermione looks both amused and exasperated while showing Mr Weasley her electric toothbrush. And by Harry’s side, Ginny sits, one hand on his arm, the other covering her mouth as she giggles at Charlie and George. There are those who are missing and Harry feels each of their absences keenly. His mum and dad, Sirius, Remus and Fred.

But the war is over, and Harry finally has his family.


End file.
